Barry Lopez has an essay, “Sliver of Sky,” in the January issue of Harper’s magazine. It’s a first-person account of how he was sexually abused by a predatory pedophile for almost four years when he was a boy growing up in Southern California. The content is shocking, but the way Lopez approaches it is not. The fierce bravery, the emotional and intellectual precision, the absolute honesty and attention to detail, and the affirmation and empathy are all familiar to anyone who’s read any of his books. Writing and publishing “Sliver of Sky” was an act of courage by Lopez and an act of faith in his readers, one that surely will be rewarded. The first two paragraphs are online; the entire essay is available only by purchasing a copy of the magazine or subscribing and accessing it online.

The December issue of Reed, the alumni magazine of Reed College, is a books issue with articles on authors (and Reed graduates) Graham Jones, Amy Reading, Tonio Andrade, Peter Zuckerman and Lew Welch. Lena Lencek and Jan Powell are profiled and there’s an extensive review section and an article on the discovery and publication of a long-lost calligraphy manual by Lloyd Reynolds.

Hawthorne Books has signed a deal with Portland writer Tom Spanbauer for a new novel, “I Loved You More!” The Portland publisher has three memoirs on its spring list: “The Next Scott Nadelson: A Life in Progress” by Scott Nadelson, “Holding Silvan: A Brief Life” by Monica Wesolowska and “Wedlocked” by Jay Ponteri. Nadelson and Ponteri are Oregon authors.